Plain language is worldwide. Three main organizations comprise the formal international plain language network:
You probably belong to one or more of these.
There is also the informal network of plain language practitioners and smaller organizations (such as Plain Canada Clair) that are focused on local plain language issues and applications.
In June 2023, plain language reached a major milestone. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) published a plain language standard. This accomplishment was possible because the three main organizations formed a volunteer working group, the International Plain Language Federation (IPLF).
IPLF is made up of volunteers from the boards of each group. Together they developed the guidelines now published in the ISO standard.
At the same time, IPLF also recruited other volunteers from the three main organizations to work on a resource bank for people working in plain language.
My role on the IPLF committee was to give guidance on the need for plain language training and education. One of our first tasks was to develop a questionnaire to uncover what plain language practitioners and learners wanted. Many of you (204 to be exact) completed that questionnaire.
Most respondents said that you value training. Whether through a one-hour webinar or something much longer, you want to learn more. You would like training that employers and others will recognize and respect. You specifically appreciate training that is workshop-based and that gives you practice writing and revising with the help of an expert instructor.
You are looking for ways to bring plain language into your workplace and help co-workers understand and respect it as a strategic process, not just an add-on once a document has been written.
You are also looking for resources—something you can turn to when you need examples of or statistics about the usefulness of plain language.
Finally, you are looking for timely, appropriate, and easily retrievable information housed in one location.
Our IPLF committee is now focused on these needs. We are working toward an online resource bank of information about clear communication, such as:
- Guides for working with others to create a plain language process
- Statistics to support a plain language approach
- Training protocols
- Plain language documents that are accessible
- Guides for making graphs and other images clear
This list is not the limit of our committee’s work, but rather a beginning. Survey respondents identified several gaps in the training and education currently available. Our committee will work to close those gaps.
If you have something you feel might be useful as part of this resource bank, please email me at [email protected].